


Cuts Both Ways

by NascentSunbeam



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka and Artoo are my brotp, Death Watch, Friendship, Gen, Master & Padawan relationship, Post-A Friend In Need, Support, Tarkin is an ass, Trust, minor references to violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 17:58:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9836570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NascentSunbeam/pseuds/NascentSunbeam
Summary: Ahsoka hasn't returned from Carlac yet, and Anakin's insecurities are beginning to get the better of him....Ahsoka is not in the mood to deal with insecure men at the moment.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This may or may not be added to my existing "Fire-Forged" series (still musing), but either way it can stand alone.
> 
> Update 2.20.17 - reread and edited. also added the words I forgot. :)

Anakin paced in a circle, swearing under his breath. Ahsoka should have been back by now - hell, she should have been back _yesterday_ , and yet she was not, and he was here, waiting for the Chancellor to arrive. Anakin hadn’t wanted to wait in the hallway outside His Excellency’s office; the Jedi’s agitation was so off-putting to the Chancellor’s aides, he and Rex took up the receptionist’s offer when pointed to an empty room. Rex for his part had taken off his helmet and clipped it to his belt, his face was stoic. Anakin knew his Captain felt just as uneasy about Ahsoka’s disappearance, and that he was not happy Anakin had been called to the Chancellor’s service. They both would have preferred to be out looking for their Padawan.

 

Ahsoka was _supposed_ to be escorting Padme and the other Republic Senators to Mandalore for peace negotiations, but she had gone off “to save Lux Bonteri” (whatever that meant). After not having heard from Ahsoka for an entire rotation, Anakin’s mind had drifted to darker places. Maybe she'd been taken. He had even voiced to Rex, in an unthinking moment of anxious fury, that perhaps she had left _with Bonteri on purpose_ , abandoning the Order and him! Before he could further entertain the notion Rex had given him a stern look and a raised eyebrow and asked in a hard voice, “Why do you think she would do that, sir?”

 

 _Because she_ _’s more like me than anyone else knows,_ Anakin didn’t say. Rex’s voice betrayed no emotion, but Anakin realized he had crossed a line, judging by the Captain’s hard glare and refusal to break eye-contact. He knew how much Rex cared for Ahsoka. Anakin ceded, muttered a quick apology, and resumed mostly-silent fuming while pacing back and forth.

 

The beep of Anakin’s comm stilled him and he answered. Rex snapped his attention toward the communicator. The image flickered and the audio crackled with static. Padme’s visage was blurred, her voice hardly audible.

 

“A…kin, there y…are! I’ve been tr… to reach…for an hour! Where are yo..?”

 

“Padme! I’ve been trying to reach you too - hang on, the connection is terrible - Padme, are you still on Alderaan?” Anakin had also been gravely concerned after his wife and her companions had fled Mandalore quickly after Satine's guards had regained control and overwhelmed the Separatist droids; the Duchess wanted all parties off her planet immediately. Bail had suggested returning to Alderaan for “strategic planning” (whatever that meant) rather than Coruscant right away, and Padme agreed, which irked Anakin. He had missed Padme, and was unhappy at her delay.

 

“Yes, we…still on Aldera… why is…connectio…oor?” The sounds of Padme’s garbled voice continued, thought it was hard to make out.

 

“Argh!” Anakin felt his anger ready to boil over. “What’s wrong with this thing?” He jostled the comm a few times, to no avail.

 

“…heard fr…soka…want to know… going on. She… tried…you …worry because she is …ning to C…After she…x Bonteri he…well, he didn’t want t…return to Coruscant, so instead…to Carl... Apparentl… Death Watch to assassinate…abably worrying, but you really shouldn’t… _now._ You’ve tr…well.”

 

“Padme? Padme!” Anakin cursed as the comm died out. Padme was okay at least, he tried to mentally reassure himself. He was disappointed he couldn’t talk with her more - he felt like he needed to, with Ahsoka gone. He looked to Rex, who’s expression had shifted ever so slightly, and yet, how expressive was the single furrowed brow of concern.

 

Anakin let his feelings be known. “That wasn’t good. Where did she say they were!? We can leave now…”

 

Rex hesitated. “I don’t know, sir. I couldn’t make out much of what the Senator was saying either way.”

 

“Padme said she was worried. She said Death Watch was going to assassinate someone! We should go-”

 

Rex frowned. “We can’t know for sure what she was saying, sir,” he repeated slowly, and Anakin huffed in irritation. Rex, undeterred, continued, “She might even be with the Senator now.” Rex pointed out fairly, and Anakin stopped and looked at Rex, slightly ashamed of his antics toward the other man. Rex was only trying to help him maintain his focus, his perspective.

He appreciated that Rex could keep him grounded in that way - it was the quality that made the man a good Captain, especially to the 501st. He bowed his head, and Rex said, “Right now, all we can do is wait, sir. The Commander’s done this before - and she’s always come back.” The Captain put a steadying hand on his General’s shoulder, and Anakin breathed a heavy sigh.

 

“You’re right, Rex. I just can’t stand the thought of anything happening to her.”

 

Rex gave him a lopsided smile. “You and me both, sir.”

 

Anakin nodded in appreciation, but he couldn’t keep from airing his nagging thought. “I guess I was sort of right. She _did_ run off with Bonteri. But where exactly did they go? And how Death Watch fit in?”

 

Rex suddenly went rigid with tension, his grin vanishing, his face, impassive. The words that followed were slow and measured. “If she did in fact leave, she…may have thought she was helping someone she considers a friend and that it was important enough to go.” Anakin could feel too keenly through the Force the cold anxiety that wracked his Captain. It was an anxiety he shared. If Ahsoka had rescued Lux and then willingly agreed to abandon her charge and _left_? Left them, for how long, and for what (or whom)? And worse, what if she had gotten herself hurt? If she returned, it would require a stern discussion about her actions, perhaps even formal discipline required by the Council. And if she _didn_ _’t_ return, either by her own volition…or worse?

 

They heard a sharp knock at the door and a harried assistant poked her head into the room.

 

“Master Skywalker? The Chancellor will see you now.”

 

With a brisk stride, the assistant turned and strode away. Rex squeezed Anakin’s shoulder to reassure him, and Anakin returned the gesture - they could put on brave faces for others, not let others see the extent of their care the best they could, and in a small way, it would help. Anakin followed, heading for the Chancellor’s office. Rex took his post up at the door. He gave his General one final nod before Anakin strode inside, greeted warmly by the kindly man whose support he’d come to rely on.

 

Even if his Padawan and his wife were gone, Anakin was glad that the Chancellor was always willing to lend an ear.

 

* * *

 

Ahsoka ached. Her body hurt, yes, but the ache she felt ran deeper. It settled in her chest and weighed heavier with each breath she took.

 

 _Why am I feeling this way?_ She couldn’t keep herself from remembering Lux, and she relived the sensation of her stomach flipping over itself. As they parted, she had put her hand on the glass window in a gesture of…what exactly? She cringed at the memory; it felt like something from a holo-drama. What was it about Lux that simultaneously brought out her best and worst instincts?

 

Ahsoka stretched, her arms raised over her head as she rolled out her neck and shook out her lekku. The ache in her body was spreading through her head-tails. Togruta headaches were a far more debilitating condition than most others realized, and she wished suddenly that she had more than just Artoo with her. She adored the droid, of course, but it to have her Master or Rex with her would set her at ease, especially if she were feeling less than one-hundred percent.

 

She couldn’t wait to sleep.

 

The Coruscant blockade was in view, and Ahsoka wasted no time in transmitting her codes. She wasn’t expecting a haughty, cold voice in response.

 

“Padawan Tano. How curious, you seem to be operating an unauthorized shuttle.”

 

“ _Captain Tarkin_ ,” her jaw clenched as she mentally cursed. She was _really_ not in the mood to deal with _him_ right now.

 

“It’s Admiral now, actually. The Chancellor personally ordained it after I submitted the Nexus Route coordinates to him.”

 

"Oh? The Chancellor has taken to given promotions for getting captured and then rescued by someone else?" Ahsoka failed spectacularly to bite her tongue at the impulse to interject. _She_ too had delivered those coordinates to the Chancellor - had saved Tarkin's life, in fact! She felt irritated at the prospect that he had risen in rank off the backs of others’ sacrifice. She thought of Master Piell and her fallen troopers - _Echo -_ and she found herself shaking with anger.

 

“As I was saying, _Padawan_ Tano,” he chose to ignore her interjection, and the way he emphasized her Jedi title grated her montrals, “you are operating a shuttle that was reported missing a rotation ago-”

 

Oblivious to her rage, the insufferable man continued on. Ahsoka let him drone on for the moment as she motioned to Artoo to send over the transmission - a transmission of Padme explicating on Ahsoka’s use of the shuttle, and making a formal statement that her Senate delegation was rendezvousing in Alderaan and yes, Ahsoka had their full permission to use the shuttle. She had spoken to Padme en route to Coruscant; Ahsoka was concerned about the status of the Senators, to be sure, but she also was having difficulty comming Anakin and was looking for someone to relay that she was fine. She had given Padme a rough sketch of what happened on Carlac, and Padme had insisted on providing her a formal statement for her return, “Just in case you run into trouble.”

 

Now it was obvious. Padme knew Tarkin was in orbit.

 

Ahsoka sent the transmission, and sure enough, Tarkin’s voice cut out for the moment, and Ahsoka indulged in a satisfied smirk as she imagined the sour expression on Tarkin’s face.

 

“Very well, Padawan Tano, I shall grant you permiss-”

 

Ahsoka ended the transmission.

 

“…Perhaps that wasn’t wise,” she mused aloud, but she also found she didn’t much care. Artoo beeped a few words that made her laugh in surprise.

 

“Artoo! That’s not polite to say about a person. Even if I happen to agree.” She winked at the droid. Tarkin could stuff it, far as she was concerned. She rolled her neck and shoulders. Her lekku felt heavy and throbbed. She really just wanted to lie down.

 

She’d first need to make her way to the Grand Army of the Republic Compound to return the shuttle the delegation had used. Maybe she’d swing by the barracks to see if Kix had anything for her headache, as well as take Artooey in for some tender droid maintenance. Yes, that plan would work.

 

It didn’t go quite as she’d hoped. Despite Padme’s transmission, the GAR Compound staff were far less inclined to heed cold logic than Tarkin and demanded that she relate her story multiple times before skeptically agreeing to check in the missing shuttle and remove its notice. By this point, Ahsoka was fuming and her lekku were purple. _Keep it together, Ahsoka,_ she mentally chided. She could do this. She just needed to get to the barracks. Artooey gave her a few encouraging beeps.

 

On arriving at the barracks, she saw something she didn’t expect: Anakin and Rex.

 

“Where were you?” Anakin’s words came so swiftly her head - which was still _throbbing_ \- almost spun. She noted that both men had serious expressions on their face, ones she recognized; they were not happy with her.

 

“I was just returning the shuttle. Where were _you_ , Master? I’ve tried comming you but I couldn’t get through.”

 

“We were with the Chancellor, not that it matters because that was a poor redirect. You know full well what I mean, Ahsoka, _where were you?_ _”_

 

And Ahsoka belatedly realized that they may not have gotten Padme’s transmission, that she would need to work to bring them up to speed. Ahsoka tracked that Anakin always seemed especially on edge after meeting with the Chancellor.

 

Like Lux for her, the Chancellor seemed to bring out Anakin’s best and worst instincts.

 

“…Did you get Padme’s message, Master?” She began tentatively.

 

“We received a partial message from Senator Amidala,” Rex was quick to cut in with an explanation, catching on to the fact that Padawan and Master were just short of understanding each other. Whatever Rex was about to finish saying, however, was swallowed by Anakin’s outburst.

 

“I can’t believe you left, Ahsoka!” She realized that Anakin seemed…well, furious. She barely registered Rex’s uncomfortable posture, his eyes traveling from General to Commander unsure of exactly what to do. Anakin’s blue eyes burned with anger and concern, while he said, “What were you thinking, running off to face Death Watch?”

 

“That’s not what happened, Master-”

 

“Then what did?” Anakin was in _a mood_ and she recognized this kind of fit; it was a state in which he lost all ability to reason. And though she knew deep down it came from a good place, a place that cared deeply about others, she was _not_ in a state herself to deal with his irrationality at the moment.

 

She vaguely registered that Rex had led them to his barracks office, had already punched the code and was ushering the two of them and Artoo inside. Anakin, however, seemed determined to have him for backup, because he grabbed the Captain by the shoulder and hauled him inside despite the other man’s clear reluctance. The door had barely secured behind them before Anakin continued again.

 

“Why did you even go off with Bonteri? You told me you were coming to Coruscant!” Anakin was raising her ire in a way he had only done a few times before. Rex had no business being here, and it was wrong of her Master to put him in such position, but she was too pressed by the ache in her head to argue that point and focused on answering him instead.

 

“I’m trying to tell you! Lux took me to Carlac, I didn’t want to go-”

 

“Then why did you?”

 

“Master, _stop_ interrupting me! I’m _trying to tell you,_ _”_ she huffed in irritation; the gauntlet had been thrown, as far as she was concerned. She had no patience for this right now, his inability to let her speak for two seconds without interjecting. She saw Rex place a hand on Anakin’s shoulder, perhaps in an effort to calm him. It didn’t seem to work.

 

“Ahsoka, don’t get _snippy_ with me.” The way he said the word felt dangerous. Anakin wasn’t diffusing, he was building up. He didn’t usually direct angry sarcasm at her, and she felt on edge for it. The tips of her montrals burned painfully. “This is serious. You abandoned your post, and left your Senators in a potentially dangerous situation!”

 

“I was helping Lux, you know that,” she snapped. This was getting ridiculous. She attempted to take a breath - if _she_ could just remain calm, just continue stating the facts until he was able to listen…

 

“And then you left, to go off gallivanting with him!” Her face snapped up to face him at that, shocked. How could he think…

 

Ahsoka watched Rex shift uncomfortably, the recognition dawning in the Captain’s face that they were in uncharted territory and he was thoroughly out of his depth. Ahsoka felt, for a moment, her anger surge toward the Captain. She didn’t understand how he could watch Anakin being unfair toward her and not _say_ anything. But she also saw in Rex’s eyes the question, the thought that she did, in fact, _abandon her post_ for a boy.

 

And that realization profoundly stung.

 

“Is that what you think?” Her voice felt so small, so quiet suddenly. She looked from her Master to her Captain, and they both seemed unsure by her sudden shift in demeanor, but she nevertheless saw in their eyes the doubt they had about her intentions. They were too protective, the both of them; so concerned about what might happen to her if that were the case that they hadn’t bothered to stop and think about any other alternative.

 

And then she felt all her anger and frustration, everything she had been bottling up for the past two days explode out of her. “How can you _even say that_!?”

 

They both looked surprised at her outburst, and she was determined to use it to her advantage. “I didn’t _want_ to go to Carlac! Lux stunned me and dragged me there _against my will_. I can’t believe you would accuse me of abandoning my duty without even hearing what I have to say!” She didn’t bother lowering her voice, didn’t care she was practically shouting at them.

 

That undercut both men, who looked a mixture of shocked and horrified, and Ahsoka was emboldened. “Master, you need to actually let me finish a sentence! How am I supposed to explain myself if you never really bother listening? This isn’t the first time you’ve done this, either - you _have_ to get better at not interrupting me!” For a second he made to protest but Ahsoka raised a hand and sent him a glare that stopped him short. Then she turned to Rex.

 

“And _you_!” Both General and Captain started - they had neither one of them had ever seen her so angry with Rex. “I can’t believe you didn’t stand up for me!” She was furious, but even in this state, she didn’t dare voice the rest of her thoughts. _How could you, after everything? After Umbara? How could you not stand up to your Jedi, who was wrong? How would you not stand up for **me**?_

 

She didn’t _need_ to voice the whole thought, however. He knew her well enough to understand what she left unspoken. She saw how the impact of her words, voiced or not, cut straight to his heart. His expression was absolutely crestfallen. But he didn’t deny what she said; in fact, he made no reply at all.

 

And then in spite of herself, Ahsoka let out a sob. She quickly recovered, forcing herself to control her breathing, but she couldn’t hide the tears that had escaped from her outburst.

 

Both men were frozen. This was _really_ uncharted territory. She had never cried in front of them before, she recalled; she didn’t cry often at all. But she felt so anguished. After everything she’d endured on that frozen backwater planet and with Lux Bonteri, she was completely aghast that two people she considered herself closest to still didn’t trust her completely. There was always _something_ …

 

Ahsoka was so _tired_. Her head from the tips of her montrals down the length of her lekku hurt. She just wanted to sleep. She would have given anything for this moment to be over. And then, an unexpected ally came to her aid.

 

An image, one of her unconscious form lit the room. She saw Lux’s image on the holo too, and then she watched as Artoo began to roll back what he had recorded from their time on Carlac. She heard Lux’s feeble lie to Artoo that she was “just resting” after he had stunned her, and she observed the dangerous way her Master and Captain’s jaws set by his untruth. She unabashedly watched Anakin and Rex’s faces, awash in a soft blue glow, take in the exactly what had happened on the ice planet. They saw her vain attempts to convince Lux to leave, watched as she warily created a cover for herself while dealing with Death Watch. Artoo played back the important parts, while mercifully skipping the gory details of Tryla’s death. (She thanked the Force he wasn't present for when Lux kissed her.)

 

Artoo forwarded to her confrontation with Death Watch, preventing them from further harming the villagers. With a pang, Ahsoka wondered if they were all still all right. Could she check on them, in any way?

 

Ahsoka saw the holo-image of herself, bound and kneeling in front of Pre Vizla, and she took special note of the awe (were those smiles?) that crossed her Master and Captain’s faces as she made her daring escape on the holo, decapitating four Mandalorians at once.

 

She could feel the spike of pride in their Force signatures as they watched the confrontation between herself and Pre Vizla, for she was more than his match.

 

And Ahsoka realized that Artoo was providing so much more than just her alibi - he was making her case that she was, in fact, to be trusted. That she had more than earned the right to be heard. Ahsoka couldn’t help the smirk on her face when she saw that Anakin and Rex seemed to be coming around to this realization, too.

 

To be safe, Artooey beeped a few choice words for Anakin.

 

“Right…um,” Anakin started but then trailed off, clearly embarrassed by his outburst but now sufficiently chided - by his droid, no less!

 

“Master, I know you care about me, and I know you were worried. But please, you have to trust me. You know that I can survive out there on my own. And you _know_ I would _never_ leave you like that! I would never abandon either of you!” She looked between both of them, from Anakin’s bright blue eyes to Rex’s warm honey ones. Her voice was less angry now, and more pleading - she wanted them to simply understand her. And it seemed that Anakin finally did; whatever spell his anger had held over him broke, and he let his head fall in deference to her.

 

“You’re right. I need to trust you more.” He crossed over to her placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry this is a lesson I keep need to relearning.”

 

“You can make it up to me sending a squad to check up on the villagers from that planet; and give me some space. I’m still pretty steamed.” She was being a bit curt but as far as she was concerned it was more than gracious, considering the state of her head-tails.

 

Anakin was content to not argue. But he did take a step forward and wrapped Ahsoka into his arms. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka. I let my worry and fear get the better of me.” She let her forehead rest against his chest for a moment, acknowledging his apology. Then, motioning for Artoo to follow in his stead, Anakin left the office.

 

Which left Rex and Ahsoka alone.

 

* * *

 

The silence was overbearing. Rex felt her eyes on him, staring intently, waiting for any kind of response.

 

“Well?” He winced. The angry edge in her voice had returned. She so rarely directed her anger toward _him_ , and he found he very much did not enjoy being on the receiving end of it.

 

“Commander…” he could hear the hesitation in his voice. He wasn’t really sure where to begin, but Ahsoka wasn’t ready to let him off easy and still was worked up enough to let him know.

 

“Why didn’t you stand up for me, Rex?” Her voice was sharp, but he could hear the barest hitch in her voice. “You’re supposed to have my back.”

 

Damn. That stung. She was right.

 

“There’s no excuse, Commander. I should have done more to stand up to the General,” Rex finally admitted, his voice quiet.

 

Ahsoka made no reply. She wasn’t even looking at him. Her eyes were focused on a spot on the floor, and one hand idly was rubbing the tip of one of her lekku. Without the General present, Rex began to voice what he should have earlier.

 

“General Skywalker and I were in the Senate building waiting to meet with the Chancellor before your arrival. Senator Amidala’s transmission was incomplete; the most we knew was that you had gone somewhere with Lux Bonteri, and that Death Watch had attempted to assassinate someone.”

 

And Ahsoka rolled her eyes, but when she looked at him she looked much more sympathetic. “Would it have killed Skyguy to just _explain that_ to me?”

 

“You know how he is,” Rex shook his head, feeling better now that she was calming down. “Respectfully, sir, I did try to talk him down at the Senate office, when he mentioned he believed you abandoned your post.”

 

“You believed it, too.”

 

No point in denying what she had observed. “Not at first. I thought it was unlike you. But I admit, I let General Skywalker’s doubts influence my own judgment. I was wrong to not believe in you - you’ve more than earned it, Ahsoka.” He paused for a moment, taking in a breath, his heart thudding in his chest. He wanted only to make this right. “I acknowledge my error, sir. I made a promise to always watch your back, and I did not live up to that today. Forgive me.”

 

The hardness in Ahsoka’s expression melted away, and he inwardly felt relief surge through him. He had gambled on the fact that his Commander was so caring; she had never been mad at him before and lacked endurance for the sport.

 

“Of course, Rexster. I know you look out for me.” She paused a beat. “The Chancellor doesn’t always bring out the best in Skyguy.” His eyebrows shot to his hairline. Rex had noticed the ways in which Anakin did seem on edge in the Senate building, despite the fact he carried a genuine fondness for the Chancellor. Apparently, it hadn’t only been Rex who’d noticed.

 

He didn’t get a chance to follow up with her. He noticed that she had begun to rub the top of her head, in the valley between her montrals, in a methodical manner, starting with small circles that fanned outward. Then she was massaging her lekku again, and belatedly Rex realized he had never seen them that shade of violet before, nor had they ever looked so…swollen?

 

“Sir, are you feeling all right?”

 

“Honestly, Rex, no. I feel like I could sleep for days, and my montrals and lekku are killing me!” Her tone had taken on a whining pitch; she gave him a sheepish look. “It’s not helping my mood.”

 

No wonder her temper was fraying faster than was normal. “Certainly not, and I don’t blame you,” he responded kindly. “But I can help you.”

 

“Oh?”

 

He pulled out the chair from his desk and ushered her to sit, before saying, “I’ll be back, sir.” Quickly, he left his office and worked his way through the barracks, heading for the supply cabinet, grabbing everything he thought he would need. To his luck, there was even a spare cot folded neatly against the wall; he took that, too. He made his way back to his office where Ahsoka was patiently waiting on his chair, legs folded across themselves in what he assumed was a meditative or resting pose. She opened one eye and smiled as he entered.

 

“All this for me, Rexster?”

 

“Of course, sir. I have to make amends somehow.” She met his eyes and he winked. He quickly set up the cot and she didn’t waste any time laying down on it with a relaxed sigh. He then produced a water canteen, several cold packs, a pillow and a blanket. Ahsoka set quickly to work, activating the cold packs and wrapping them around her lekku, sighing again at the instant relief they provided her.

 

Rex went over to the desk and pulled open the top drawer, grabbing a small packet with two pills, and then pulled the chair up next to the cot, sitting and handing her the medicine. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “I get migraines,” he shrugged, passing her the water canteen. “ _And_ these are safe for Togruta; Kix made a point to stock as many medicines that were cross-species compatible throughout the barracks and the _Resolute_.”

 

“Kix thinks of everything.”

 

“That he does, sir.”

 

“But you, Rex? You get migraines?” She reached up and rubbed his head, and he found himself surprised but also appreciative of the gesture. Perhaps it was just her tiredness, or perhaps she was overcompensating for snapping at him during the argument, but he was just glad she seemed to be getting over her anger with him regardless. He didn’t want her to feel like she couldn’t trust him. In his eyes, that would be a dereliction of his duty.

 

“Occasionally, sir. Mostly when dealing with Fives.”

 

She snorted, and it lifted his own spirits to see even the slightest happiness from her.

 

“There was a lot more to Carlac,” she started, unexpectedly. She laid back on the cot, eyes closed, but face tense.

 

“You don’t have to tell me now if you’d rather rest,” he began. She didn’t respond right away, and he said, “But if you want, I’ll always listen.”

 

So she began to tell him.

 

Rex was well-practiced in the art of listening to his Jedi relive their almost too incredible feats and did well to cover his reactions even if he wanted to audibly interject to the news that Lux had essentially forced himself on her. “He kissed me to shut me up, since I didn’t realize Pre Vizla was coming in. But it still felt…I don’t know. Wrong?” For the first time since starting her tale, she looked at Rex. “I just didn’t like that I didn’t have much of a choice in it. Which is my problem with Lux. One minute he’s really sweet to me, the next he’s stunning me unconscious or kissing me against my will.” She was trying to joke, but he frowned. Even if it had been an effective means of keeping her from blowing her cover, Rex personally felt he would not have taken advantage of Ahsoka in such a manner by kissing her without her consent.

 

“I’m sorry he did that to you. It sounds like you’re a better friend to him than he deserves.”

 

“Well, he’s certainly not _you_ ,” she gave him a bright smile despite her condition, and Rex swelled with pride. 

 

She continued telling him about the mission, filling in the gaps that Artoo had missed. At some point, he realized she had begun to hold his hand. She became particularly animated when she recalled returning to Coruscant.

 

“Tarkin is a jerk.” She summarized her encounter with the Admiral, and Rex snorted.

 

“That he is, sir.”

 

"It's wrong that he gets a promotion while so many others died. The most he did at the Citadel was complain about how we were rescuing him!"

 

"I know."

 

He was beginning to understand how her temper had been so frayed. She had incredibly conflicting thoughts about Bonteri, had gone several days without sleep, and then had to deal with _Tarkin_ and the GAR bureaucracy.

 

He and Skywalker had been lucky to get off so easy, he mused.

 

She was losing steam now, he could see. Her lekku were beginning to return to their more normal shade of blue, and she looked incredibly tired.

 

“You need to rest, now, Commander.”

 

“Won’t argue there, Rex.”

 

“Then rest up. I’ll watch your back.”

 

“I know you will.”

 

He smiled. He would make sure to not let her down again.

 

That was a promise.

 


End file.
